On Ukraine’s Frontline: The Role of the Volunteer Spirit in Rebooting the Ukrainian Army

Quoting a fighter in the Ukrainian Azov regiment [now part of the National Guard of Ukraine, formerly a volunteer paramilitary unit] I met in Mariupol: “if two years ago when the actual war started we would have had all the equipment we are acquiring and training on now, the major part of lost guys and civilians would be alive".

The publication “The Future Revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe” represents the collection of views of experts from the different field of expertise – foreign and security policy, migration, political science, history and information warfare. The id

The way Israel claims Jerusalem, which is by the majority of the international community considered to be the capital of both states. Critical examination of the arguments of the Trump administration for relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusale

The aim of this paper is to identify the enduring principles at the basis of Russian military thought, offering an alternative to the contemporary analytical mainstream – which deems Moscow’s military behavior to be revolutionary and unprecedented.

There are almost no oil or gas resources in the EU. To strengthen its energy security, the EU has taken a number of measures in its energy policy. To find out which measures these were read the policy paper of our Centre for Energy Policy.

Actions taken by the authorities in Oslo for the development of the defense system may be regarded as a model of how to plan qualitative and quantitative changes in the country’s armed forces and structures of military security.

The idea of writing this book was influenced by the fact that since March 2014 European and Eastern European countries are facing a massive onslaught of Russian information warfare, whose main goal is to undermine the trust of citizens in the political el

The first hearing in the dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was held at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague on 6th-9th March 2017. The hearing did not relate to the substance of the dispute, but to the request by Ukraine

The study aims to explore the context and contents of the recent high-level intergovernmental summit on tackling anthropogenic climate change, which was held in Paris under the auspices of the United Nations last December, and to evaluate its potential co

The analysis aims to present the different frameworks of interpretations regarding the Orlando shooting and to highlight the importance of the differentiation between terrorism and “traditional” crimes. The case sheds light on the tendency of the “inflati

According to the US Department of Defense the traditional way of resolving conflicts, especially by military means becomes less and less viable due to social, economic, and information related developments. Non-state actors now have access to inexpensive

With the election of a new pro-independence president in Taiwan, the current détente in the cross-strait relations is likely to fade away. If Taiwan chooses to proclaim independence, it could invite a Chinese invasion and possibly lose the support of the

The rise of populist authoritarianism is an overwhelming phenomenon in Western democracies. The study examines its common roots and looks at how this plays out in various countries of the Nordic region.

Russia has been increasingly using the A2AD measures. The goal of this concept is to prevent an opponent from entering into theater (Anti-Access) by means of long-range weapons, and deprive him of freedom of action in this theater (Area-Denial) by means o

Russia’s recent decision to grant official recognition of civil documents issued in the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Luhansk and Donetsk (LNR and DNR) starting from February 18, 2017 is incompatible with the Kremlin’s official denial of its direc

These opening remarks at the 53rd Munich Security Conference (MSC) by conference chairman Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger set the tone of the event by spelling out the gravity of the situation. Indeed, it has become hard to predict the evolution of American

The Trump administration would likely be pro-Israeli and definitely anti-Iranian (perhaps even anti-Shiite). This means a significant reverse of the vectors of American foreign policy towards a number of regional problems.

Centre for European and North Atlantic Affairs (CENAA) gladly presents the latest issue of the CENAA Analysis “Current Trends in Jihadist On-line Magazines” written by Radoslava Haršányová and Marek Hrušovský from University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in

Centre for European and North Atlantic Affairs (CENAA) gladly presents the latest issue of the CENAA Analysis “Central Europe on the Road to Illiberalism” written by Viera Žúborová from University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava.

Martin Michelot is co-author of policy paper which is part of entire series developed by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The series focuses on current challenges of transatlantic cooperation.

Matthieu Crévecoeur continues to analyse the current situation in the Middle East with connection to the suspended peace talks in Genève. He underlines the importance of solidarity and courage which should be demonstrated by the EU in order to make the pe

EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy is one of the authors of the document commissioned by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung offices in Prague and Warsaw about the differing reactions of individual Visegrad countries on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

Europe, specifically the European Union, is now facing more pressing challenges than ever. Read a blog by Matthieu Crévecoeur in which he emphasizes the importance of staying united on both domestic and European level.

Christian Kvorning Lassen's follow-up blog about the three major obstacles that need to be overcome before a parallel agreement can be a reality, which seems highly unlikely, as he outlined in previous post.

Following the announcement of Sweden and Denmark to re-introduce border controls in the light of the refugee crisis, Christian Kvorning Lassen looks at the broader implications of this move and the future of the Schengen area.

The refugee crisis has highlighted hitherto latent divisions within the EU, particularly amongst the V4 countries and Western Europe. The division is, at first glance, rooted in fundamentally differing perceptions of the crisis, giving rise to several my

The first issue of the Antall József Knowledge Centre's new journal In Focus commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Visegrad Cooperation. Articles and interviews are analysing the history of the cooperation and those current social and political process

Elections in the U.S. may have big implications for its allies, as the new administration may, as announced by Donald Trump during the election campaign, try to reduce the U.S. commitment in the world.

Can the Necessary International Legal Framework to Achieve a Nuclear-WeaponFree World Be Reached? The answer to this question can, to a certain extent, be found in the significant resolution of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security C

This paper purports to answer challenging questions of legal issues connected with mining in outer space. It addresses the problem of technical feasibility of a mining venture in outer space and tries to analyze international space law applicable to such

Outer space has become a contested, congested and competitive domain with an ever growing importance to life on Earth. Recently, an increasing number of new players have entered the space arena. Slovakia has also stepped up its space related activities.

The recently unveiled EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy presents bold and ambitious plans in several increasingly important domains for Europe, including outer space. The EU has committed itself to securing an autonomous access to space,

This paper is a summary of a series of closed-door expert roundtables of the event "Countering Pro-Russian Disinformation: Current Challenges and the Way Forward" that took place in Prague on May 31, 2016.

This is a follow-up publication to the annual Riga Dialogue conference that endeavours to reflect the recognisable diversity of perceptions and interests among a variety of stakeholders in the Euro-Atlantic area, and offer insights for increasing mutual t

This book provides theoretical and practical insights of the Europeanisation transformations taking place in the Eastern Partnership countries and discusses how the economic ties between the EU and the partners affect these transformations.

China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001 as an economy which was undergoing transformation and did not yet have market economy status (MES). This enabled other WTO members, including the European Union, to be more flexible in imposing anti-

The official Russian reactions to Brexit have been cautious in assessments and sober in tone, while the reactions in the media, reflecting the mood in the Russian political establishment, have been close to euphoric.

Report of the International Security Experts Conference “EU Global Strategy: Eastern Partners in European Security” held on March 2-4, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania, provides recommendations for the ongoing debate on the new EU Global Strategy on Foreign and

The analytical paper "Ukraine-Germany Relations: How to Turn Situational Partnership into Priority One" is a part of IWP new ambitious initiative “Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Audit” that will cover Ukraine’s relations with its strategic partners. As a result

ICDS researchers took a close look at the Estonia’s energy security, current challenges it faces to meet the climate targets and possible outcomes of the climate policies implementation on security of energy supplies and sustainability.

The Arctic is on the rise. Despite the recent events in Ukraine and the Russian annexation of Crimea that have shaken the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, there is no denying that, even if temporarily sidelined, the importance of the High North in glo

The collection of articles entitled “The Politics of Economic Sustainability: Baltic and Visegrad Responses to the European Economic Crisis” is an attempt by an international collection of authors to explain the political economy of the long and winding r

Latvia is a country of extreme contrasts. Twenty-two years of independence have brought periods of both high growth and deep slumps. The general trend of economic development has been positive since the early 1990s, more and more people have enjoyed enhan

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs launches its first annual Foreign Policy Yearbook to address the issue of continuity and change in Latvia’s foreign policy. Although this analytic endeavour brings together authors with a diversity of backgro

The aim of this publication is to analyze, raise awareness of and provide recommendations regarding the impact of the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) on NATO in general and Latvia in particular. The approach chosen by the LIIA is a broad one, taking

The aim of this publication is to analyze, raise awareness of and provide recommendations regarding the impact of the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) on NATO in general and Latvia in particular. The approach chosen by the LIIA is a broad one...

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative was officially launched by the European Union at the Prague summit in 2009. It was aimed at putting the region back into the EU’s spotlight and opening up new mechanisms for cooperation, including a multilateral di

After the launch of the local border traffic (LBT) regime with Russia in June 2013, Latvia became the second EU country, after Poland, that has effective LBT agreements with two neighboring countries. A number of the EU countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Roman

“Baltic-German Strategic Engagement: Realignment after the Eurocrisis?” is a research publication focusing on the potential changes to the relationship between Germany and the Baltic States in the context of the financial and economic problems in the Euro

The “Trends of Visegrad Foreign Policy” project provides a chance to examine the perceptions of Slovak policy makers and researchers and compare them with those of their Czech, Polish and Hungarian counterparts.

The EU should find a way to include the Balkan countries in the decision-making process on a joint solution to the migration crisis. These countries have declared their wish to co-create European solidarity, and take their share of responsibility for this

Moscow has perfectly selected not only the right moment to start its intervention, but also the scope and character. This is mainly in the form of combat and assault aircraft, the machines of the battlefield, and not fighter jets aiming to win dominance i

China has presented a far-reaching vision of cooperation with the region in infrastructure, industry and agriculture, taking a step toward shaping the economic structure of the region and giving it a vision of development.

The political difference between PM Orbán and Chancellor Merkel is evident and it has been aggravated by Orbán’s surprise move to side openly with Horst Seehofer and the CSU in a German domestic debate concerning refugees

A timely analysis of Russia’s hybrid warfare threats from Russia will allow governments in Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw to maximize their countries’ immunity to potential Russian coercion. When Moscow’s toolbox is uncovered (and the cloak of m

The Kosciuszko Institute's Report represents an analysis of the issues concerning the protection of critical infrastructure with a particular emphasis on IT security issues. The primary goal of this Report is to provide actors engaged in the protection of

In a completely new security context after Russian agression against Ukraine NATO is reviewing all fundamental principles, which has driven its decisions over the last two decades. Enlargement, the Alliance’s primary policy to realise the vision of a Euro

By annexing Crimea and fuelling violence in the Ukraine’s easternmost regions, Russia seriously broke basic principles of international law and shook assumptions about cooperative character of post-Cold War security architecture in Europe. Yet, the seemin

This paper looks more closely at the case of Slovakia and examines prospects for further improvement in bilateral relations with Kosovo. Given the fact that Slovakia along with Greece has been the most flexible of the five holdouts, are they also seen as

Before the NATO summit in Warsaw in 2016, the allies are confronted with a new security paradigm and face a strategic dilemma: how to reconcile the commitment to the Open Door Policy with the political and military reality in which Russia remains an impor

The PCTR realized in the academic year 2014/2015 the project „Czechoslovakia Transition to Democracy: Recommendations for the North Korea Peace-seeking Process“. One of the aims of this project was to develop a monograph, which is now available.

Once the symbol of authoritarian evil in Europe, Belarus is set to vote on Sunday, October 11 in its next presidential elections, which are unlikely to be any more democratic or fair than the previous round held in 2010.

The Visegrad Four belonged to the small group of states that opposed the quotas from the very beginning. Their stance came at a price. The vote on Tuesday is particularly damaging for the V4 not least because it has undermined the unity of the block.

As time passes and migratory pressures continue to increase, with another estimated 6000 asylum-seekers having made their way into Hungary yesterday, any meeting of European decision-makers in Brussels is observed with increased scrutiny and expectations

The next few months were going to be difficult for Ukraine even without last week’s events: the country’s economy is in trouble and the war in its eastern provinces continues with no end in sight. Even before last week, the best Ukraine could hope for in

The European Values Think-Tank and the Central European Policy Institute put together a group of prominent Czech and Slovak experts to come up with a document refuting the most frequent myths and falsehoods about Ukraine and set the record straight.

Last year’s annexation of Crimea by Russia and ensuing war in eastern Ukraine created a new momentum in the region, challenging the long-existing status quo. The changed situation has particularly damaged relations between Ukraine and de facto authorities

On the web site of the Institute of Modern Russia, a New York-based think-tank, Matthew Bodner published on August 26 an analysis of Russia’s military capabilities that could be employed in an eventual adventure in the Baltic Sea region. Everyone familiar

For Sweden’s Social Democrats, it is a noteworthy change in rhetoric, as they built their past arguments for opposing NATO accession on perceived US dominance of the alliance and the fact that NATO deterrence is partially based on nuclear weapons.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) can become a key alternative source of supply in the event of serious pipeline gas shortfalls across the EU. However, for this to happen successfully, the EU needs to develop a Europe-wide LNG strategy based on a common approac

As the Russian-Ukrainian conflict continues to rage on in Donbas (Pravda.com.ua, August 11), a popular sentiment regarding Kyiv’s relationship with NATO is likely to revive debates on Ukraine’s “Finlandization”—a strategic option notably proposed by Dr. Z

Most NATO members continue to reduce their defence budgets, in spite of Russia’s assertiveness, continued aggression against Ukraine and the risk of conflict spill over. Russia, pretending that the West is its worst enemy, is doing quite the opposite, hav

ICDS researcher Emmet Tuohy writes on on recent Baltic corruption scandals. Tuohy discusses whether it is possible to view the Maģonis case not as a sign of widespread corruption at the highest levels of Baltic business and politics, nor as a security ris

When the mounting scale of the influx of refugees to Europe, their determination and the weakness of the Macedonian state are all taken into account, a further escalation of the crisis should be expected, not only in Macedonia but also in Serbia.

At the time, when the world is remembering the enormous tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Yury Fedorov in his new policy paper analyses what consequences might the looming crisis of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty have.

This conflict will be shaped by the degrees to which both sides are able to maintain their internal cohesion. It may become a race against time, with both sides banking on the cohesion of the other fading before their own ranks break apart.

In a global marketplace, the Visegrad Group countries are very small markets. But taken together, they present an interesting, underdeveloped market of over 65 million customers whose digital economic potential is only starting to be exploited.

NATO seems to be getting back to its old routines and the Wales commitments are slowly being pushed to the backburner. This is shocking, given that Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine continues unabated.

This paper provides an overview of the pro- Russian disinformation activities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, identifies frequently used narratives, and brings attention to the similarity of arguments and messages used by a pro-Russian media with no f

Even with a decimated political opposition, Prime Minister David Cameron will have to navigate his country through the uncharted waters of a likely governmental reform process and a likely controversial and divisive EU membership referendum.

CENAA is delighted to present a new issue of the Policy Paper entitled “Modernization of Slovak Armed Forces: Reasons, Main Weapons Systems, Principles and challenges“. Róbert Ondrejcsák, the director of CENAA, analyzes the process of modernization of th

The PTCR offers you to download the second PCTR Newsletter issue in 2015, which contains not only information about PCTR events, but especially about the most important news from the field of Euro-Atlantic relations, which happened in February.

The Prague Centre for Transatlantic Relations of the CEVRO Institute (PCTR) published with the kind support of a non-profit organization Zaostřeno, o.p.s. and RWE Česká republika a bilingual publication Czech – American relations: A roadmap for the future

The publication "Russia's Contribution as a Partner in the War on Terrorism" was written by PSSI's Senior Research Fellow Henry Plater-Zyberk for the Strategic Studies Institute(SSI), the U.S. Army's institute for geostrategic and national security resear

Direct and indirect effects of the emergence of the Islamic State on international politics - including question of refugees, situation of Christians in the Middle East, foreign fighters from Europe and rivalry among the radical Islamist networks

The Prague Centre for Transatlantic Relations of the CEVRO Institute (PCTR) organized in 2014, in cooperation with the American Think-tank Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), a project which was supported by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Policy Paper presents a basic conceptual framework to the theory of radicalization and de-radicalization. This framework serves as a theoretical basis for studying the development of electoral behaviour as well as for designing interventions on the local

The PCTR offers you the possibility to download the fifth policy paper of the Connection Prague – Washington: How to strengthen transatlantic tie between the Czech Republic and the United States of America… project.

The PCTR offers you the possibility to download the fourth policy paper of the Connection Prague – Washington: How to strengthen transatlantic tie between the Czech Republic and the United States of America… project.

The current Russian-Ukrainian conflict is a game changer for European security. The entire European security architecture has trembled as the eastern flank of the continent has been destabilised. If the conflict cannot act as a unifier for the transatlant

In their recent policy paper, Tomáš Profant and Patryk Toporowski of the Polish Institute of International Affairs find some similarities between Poland and the Czech Republic in their approaches to the Banking Union and recommend a cooperation of both co

Even though European Parliament elections are considered to be rather second-order, i.e. with low attraction for voters, the discussion within the pre-election campaign brought up a wide range of important topics from various areas of public life.

This publication is a collection of papers presented at the annual conference of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes organised by Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of International Relations, University of Economics